Rate this book

Ender's Shadow: Command School (2010)

by Mike Carey(Favorite Author)

4.45 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0785135987 (ISBN13: 9780785135982)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Marvel

review 1: Jonathan DorseyPeriod 44/13/14Review of Ender’s Shadow: Command School The graphic novel Ender’s Shadow: Command School (written by Orson Scott Card) is a science fiction graphic novel taking place in the near future, perhaps 100 years from now. In this society, Earth was attacked by aliens called “Formics” and humans barely managed to repel their attacks and defend Earth. In order to stop another invasion, the government formed “battle schools” that taught gifted kids how to strategize and fight. Ender’s Shadow takes place partially in battle school and partially in the next step up to battle school, or command school, focusing the story around an extremely intelligent kid named Bean. As the title suggests, Bean is in “Ender’s shadow,” as Ender is the ... moreolder and more famous prodigy that battle school produced. This novel revolves around the conflict as Bean tries to adapt to his inferior role and learn to fight the Formics alongside Ender. Ender’s Shadow: Command School is an unique novel that is noteworthy for being the sequel to the infamous Ender’s Game because Ender’s Shadow follows the same plot as its predecessor, only from a different point of view. Ender’s Shadow: Command School withholds the good reputation that Ender’s Game set in place. Ender’s Game set the standard quite high, and its sequel was performed to par. For example, Ender’s Shadow elaborates on the conflict that its predecessor first put into place. Towards the beginning of the novel, when Bean is originally assigned to Ender’s army, it reads, “ ‘Knowing what to do with the soldiers in your command is easy. It’s getting them to do it that’s hard. Why should any soldier want to follow a little pinprick like you?’” This was Ender’s response to Bean asking to command a toon of soldiers in Ender’s army. Ender and Bean are the two smartest students in battle school, and both were assigned to the same army. However, despite his younger age, Bean is the smarter student, but Ender is the better commander. Each has conflicting ideas about what course of action is right, yet Ender always comes out on top due to his favor among the other students. In this case, Ender embarrassed Bean in front of their whole army in order to maintain control over the little rebel that was Bean. Also, Ender’s Shadow has the breathtaking plot twists that its predecessor had, such as when we find out that the simulations command school runs weren’t actually simulations, but real-time fighting. Bean realizes this towards the end of the novel when he says, “ ‘You gave yourself away, Colonel. When the ships respond to our orders in the simulator. There’s no time lag.’ ” This whole time, Ender’s army thought they were just preparing for the war when in reality they were fighting the Formics with real soldiers, light years away. However, Bean is the only student who realized this at the time. Just as Ender’s Shadow conform to the intricate plot Ender’s Game set in place, so does it withhold the standard of art that Ender’s Game first showed. For example, when Bean is in command school in Ender’s army once again, they have to run simulations to prepare themselves for the eventual war with the Formics. These simulations depict possible battles that could occur with the Formics. During one of these simulations, the artists use a unique style of drawing that I have rarely seen before in graphic novels. In order to represent the tight situations that the army is in, they draw panels inside of panels, with frames of dark tones to convey the stressful situation. The simulation itself shows a grid superimposed onto a purple and black background designed to represent outer space. As the novel puts it, “ ‘The simulators allow you to deploy virtual fleets by means of verbal commands or text imput. The computers will enact any maneuvers you ask for.’ ”Each student in the army has a holographic screen from which they command their ”virtual” troops). In order to depict such a high tech area, the artists also use complicated architecture that shows layers upon layers of purple control floors, from which the students operate. The command school itself is located on an asteroid called Eros. Inside Eros is a network of alien architecture (as is used to be a Formic base). In conclusion, I do recommend that you read this book because the combination of intricate plot twists and artistic elements make this graphic novel unlike any other I have read before.**Ender’s Shadow: Command School does not have page numbers**
review 2: Great art, a truly satisfying compliment to the Ender's game novel series. I downloaded these to my ipad, and it was almost exactly how I had envisioned the settings and people in my head. The covers of these books dont do them justice, the art inside is much, much better, in my opinion. I was very excited by this series, as Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead have been some of my absolute favorite stories for years now. Bean is a BAD ASS! less

Download links for: Ender's Shadow: Command School

Advertising